Andor – the new Star Wars series heading to Disney+ in September – might be too complex for kids, says showrunner Tony Gilroy.
Andor is a prequel to Rogue One – which itself was a prequel to the original Star Wars – and focuses on the life and times of spy Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna.
Tony Gilroy – who is credited with co-writing Rogue One, as well as directing extensive reshoots – is overseeing the series, which takes a very different approach to the sci-fi saga.
So rather than focus on the Skywalker family, the show revolves around more low-status characters orbiting each other as the Rebel Alliance is formed. Making Andor more dense and complicated than Star Wars fans are used to.
Why Andor isn’t for 9-year-olds
“I wanted to do it about real people,” Gilroy told Variety in a wide-ranging interview about the show.
“They’ve made all this IP about the royal family, in essence. It’s been great. But there’s a billion, billion, billion other beings in the galaxy.
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“There’s plumbers and cosmeticians. Journalists! What are their lives like? The revolution is affecting them just as much as anybody else. Why not use the Star Wars canon as a host organism for absolutely realistic, passionate, dramatic storytelling?”
But with Andor approaching the subject with what Variety calls “mature, emotional sophistication and narrative complexity”, some of it may go over the heads of children, with Gilroy stating: “I don’t think it’s a show for 9-year-olds.”
New Star Wars is for people who haven’t seen Star Wars
Gilroy adds that while he moved the show away from the more light-hearted “Butch and Sundance” approach that Disney originally planned to take, it’s still both a thriller and an adventure. And will appeal to more than just hardcore Star wars fans.
“You should be able to watch the show and not give a sh*t about Star Wars ever, or seen any Star Wars,” Gilroy claimed. “This show should work on its own.”
The first 12 episodes of Andor hit Disney+ on September 21.
